CVE-2025-22225: VMware ESXi

Should you act?

Exploited: patch now if you run it

CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

Yes, if you run VMware ESXi. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-03-04, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2025-03-25; treat that as the outer limit, not the target. CISA also lists it as known to be used in ransomware campaigns.
EPSS 1.0%, percentile 63: FIRST’s model estimates a 1.0% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 63% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.

What it is

VMware ESXi contains an arbitrary write vulnerability. A malicious actor with privileges within the VMX process may trigger an arbitrary kernel write leading to an escape of the sandbox.

CISA’s summary

VMware ESXi contains an arbitrary write vulnerability. Successful exploitation allows an attacker with privileges within the VMX process to trigger an arbitrary kernel write leading to an escape of the sandbox.

Weakness type: CWE-123.

Product: VMware ESXi · Assigned by: vmware · Published: 2025-03-04

Affected and fixed versions

Vendor	Product	Affected versions (per CVE record)
n/a	VMware ESXi	8.0 < ESXi80U3d-24585383, 8.0 < ESXi80U2d-24585300, 7.0 < ESXi70U3s-24585291
n/a	VMware Cloud Foundation	5.x, 4.5.x
n/a	VMware Telco Cloud Platform	5.x, 4.x, 3.x, 2.x
n/a	VMware Telco Cloud Infrastructure	3.x, 2.x

Severity scores

Scored by	CVSS	Score	Vector
vmware	3.1	8.2 High	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`

Attack vector: local access needed
Attack complexity: low
Privileges required: high (admin)
User interaction: none
Scope: changed (can affect other components)

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

CISA KEV: added 2025-03-04; federal due date 2025-03-25. Known ransomware use: Known.
CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.
FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 1.02% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 63.

Timeline

2025-03-04 — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
2025-03-04 — CVE record published by vmware
2025-03-25 — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
2026-08-04 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.